Prisoner of the Sea
by Sleeping-force's-inside
Summary: Why bother searching for something, if someone else can hand it to you on a silver platter? R & E & R Completed!
1. Chapter 1

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only two episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 1**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Well, I knew Tritannus had some problems, but that they'd drive him this far?" Niobe and Teredor, Aisha's parents, had just received word of what had happened during the coronation-ceremony of Neptune's heir.

"I agree." Teredor looked over the brief letter his brother-in-law had send him. "This will send them all into turmoil, don't you think?"

"I am certain Neptune has everything under control." Niobe answered. "Doesn't the letter say he send Tritannus to the dungeons? It is near impossible to get out of those without outside help and I doubt anyone will have any sympathy for Tritannus now."

"True…" Her husband agreed, rising from his throne. "Perhaps a visit is in order?"

She joined him as he watched out over their blue planet. "It has been quite a while since we did that." She agreed. "Should we ask Aisha along?"

"Isn't she still on Earth?" Teredor wondered. "And giving a concert right now?"

Niobe looked at the clock hidden from view from most of the Throne-room. "Yes, you're right. So we shall go tomorrow, I presume?"

"Most likely." Teredor turned to the exit. "I will send a messenger to see if he can receive us."

Niobe watched him leave the room, soon turning to leave herself through the side-entrance. She gracefully ascended the many stairs to the private wing of the castle, her dress rustling in the silence.

She stopped abruptly. It shouldn't be this silent at this time of day. She turned to look through the hallway she had just walked. There was no one, despite the fact that there should at least be two guards at the faraway door considering it was the entrance to the family-wing. She narrowed her eyes as she started to walk back to the door. Those guards would be in serious trouble.

"Hello, auntie." The voice came from her original destination. She wheeled around, her dress swirling around her legs.

"Tritannus." She breathed, seeing him sitting on the far windowsill while holding a trident. "How did you escape?"

"So dad already informed you?" He asked, twirling the trident in his hands. "I guess I should have expected everyone would be told that the perfect son got attacked by the outsider of the family, no?"

"No, he warned us that you had gone off the deep end." Niobe approached him. "He was your brother and you tried to kill him. What else was your father supposed to do? Simply hand you the crown?"

"Perhaps nothing of this would have happened had he remembered he had another son." Tritannus hissed, hitting the wall with his trident. "But no, it is always 'Nereus this, Nereus that' and Tritannus is only good for complaints."

"Perhaps you should have told him that rather than try to kill your brother?" Niobe demanded, coming to a standstill about two feet from him. "Such actions ensure that there is only complaining about you. You yourself are to blame for your family's behavior towards you."

His head snapped towards her and before she could even realize what was happening she was thrown against the stone wall.

His trident still faintly glowed with the power used as he crossed the hallway to check up on her. Thankfully he had only knocked her out. That he wanted his father and brother to pay did not mean he wanted the same for the rest of his family. He looked up when hearing someone in the faraway corridor.

He was about to jump out of the window when he suddenly got a brilliant idea. He turned back, lifting his aunt up and jumping out of the window with her securely held in his arms. Just as he disappeared out of view the door opened, revealing his uncle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only two episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 2**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The Winx were in Faragonda's office, talking to her about the best course of action regarding Tritannus when her phone rang.

Aisha was surprised to see her aunt, Queen Ligea, appear as a hologram.

"Is Aisha with you?" The mermaid-queen addressed Faragonda. "I have been searching for her everywhere."

"Yes, I am." The princess of Tides did not wait for Faragonda to make her move, knowing instinctively that something must be very wrong for her aunt to make a hologram-call. "What is it?"

"You must talk to your father." Ligea told her. "You must calm him down otherwise not only will we have to deal with Tritannus, but also a civil war between the merpeople and the humans of Andros."

"What?" The young fairy demanded. "Why would he do something like that?"

Ligea fell silent, looking at her niece in shock. "You don't know yet?"

"Know what yet?" Aisha demanded. "Aunt Ligea, what is happening over there?"

"Tritannus escaped…" The mermaid began. "After he did, he attacked the Piscies of Andros and Earth and stole their powers. Afterwards he disappeared, but not before… before taking your mother from the royal palace of Andros. He has abducted Niobe."

Aisha's legs gave way under the realization and she would have ended up on the floor had Faragonda not quickly moved her own chair behind her former student.

Ligea waited for a moment, allowing the other to digest the news. Her long hair floated around her face as she did.

"And then?" Aisha demanded, looking her aunt square in the eyes.

"The hunt was opened." Ligea softly said. "Without success until now. Your father is furious at your uncle Neptune for allowing it to come this far and not keeping better track of his own son. Neptune meanwhile is equally furious that your father would believe that he could have prevented all this simple because Tritannus is his son."

"Why didn't dad tell me that?" Aisha meanwhile whispered. "When did this happen?" She looked up, her eyes angry now.

"Late yesterday eve." Ligea said. "Shortly after word of Tritannus' attack on Nereus at the ceremony reached them. From what I gather, they parted ways after reading the letter we send them, after which Tritannus took your mother from the family-wing of the royal palace. Your father arrived just in time to see Tritannus jump out of the window with her unconscious in his arms. Since then no one has seen either of them."

"Oh no." Flora gasped softly.

"We have to find that Book." Bloom stated as Ligea cut the connection. "Without Sirenix we have no chance of beating him and finding Aisha's mother." She turned to the Headmistress. "You said you did not know where the Book of Sirenix is. Do you know who we could ask?"

Faragonda nodded. "Your sister Daphne was the last fairy to gain Sirenix. You must ask her. All I know is that she did not return the Book to its' original resting-place."

"Then that's what we'll do." Bloom squeezed Aisha's shoulders. "Don't worry: we'll free your mother."

She immediately left the room to contact Daphne, leaving the other Winx with Aisha.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So…" Icy looked at the unconscious woman. "Why exactly do we have a massive beacon for the Winx here?" She looked over at Tritannus who was resting on the beach of the small island beside the Queen of Andros.

"Hunting down all Gatekeepers would take too long." Tritannus answered her. "There are too many, and each is on their own respective planet. With my aunt we have leverage to simply have my father and uncle deliver the Piscies to us. It will save us both time and energy."

"IF the Winx do not find us first and free her, that is." She countered.

"Why would they do that?" He righted himself a bit, resting his hand on Niobe's chest briefly to check her heart-beat. Perhaps he had used too much force after all, because she still hadn't woken from when he crashed her into the palace-wall.

"I don't know if you noticed, but Aisha…" Hate dripped from that one word. "Your cousin is part of the Winx. She will no doubt convince her fairy-friends to help her free her mother."

At that his eyes narrowed and she could virtually see the wheels turn in his head. After a while he spoke again.

"I have my ways to keep secrets." He reached over, scooping the unconscious woman in his arms. "They will not think to look here on Earth and I have had my minions look all over for a good place to hide her. They will soon return."

"If you say so." Icy acquiesced. Her sisters were not present, being heaven knows where.

"Can you cast a water-breathing spell on her?" He broke the silence after having maneuvered his aunt into a comfortable position for him to carry her. Icy did as he asked, watching as he sank beneath the surface. For a moment she watched his form disappear deeper beneath the waves before following him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only two episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 3**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

She woke in a damp cave, algae coating the better part of every surface she could see and the stone of the walls itself forming the bars. It reminded her of the underwater-cells of the prisons of the mermaid-city as well as Neptune's high-security prison. What little light reached the place came from down below, where the entrance to the cave-system lay underwater.

She heard the faint scuttle of a crab as she rose to her feet, her royal dress already ruined by whatever time she spent on the bare ground.

"Oh, Tritannus, what have you done now?" Her soft voice echoed in the small room. There was no one there to answer her, but she knew that soon enough someone would come. Tritannus wouldn't leave her here to starve. At least, she hoped he wouldn't.

Her foot slipped, nearly sending her to the ground again. She frowned in irritation, before slipping her heels off. It was either falling every second step or suffering some discomfort. She picked discomfort.

"You woke?" The water just outside of her cell parted to reveal a monster. She gasped at what she saw: a warped Triton, with an upper-body that shone a faint green in the gloom.

"Who are you?" She demanded, taking a few steps back from it.

"You wound me, aunt." The creature was Tritannus, drunk with power and pollution. "Surely you recognize me?"

"How could I possibly?" She answered, stepping forward again to look at him better. Her frail hands rested on the rough stone of the bars. "What have you done to yourself?"

"I made myself stronger." He told her, spreading his arms to show her. As he did so, his trident broke through the water as well. "But that it none of your concern."

She wanted to argue, to remind him that since he was her _nephew _what he did to himself was very much her concern, but his reaction to her accusations at her own home told her it was better to remain silent. With no way to easily reach her, who knew how he'd react, he just might blast her with the magic stored in his trident.

"What will you do with me?" She asks instead, hoping that he'd humor her and tell her at least that much. "You know this will have angered your uncle into action."

"He and father both will not find you." Tritannus assured her. "You will stay here until I say so." He lifted the trident out of the water, pointing it at her. She immediately backed up, feeling the magic surround the golden weapon. His red eyes glowed as he released the energy, the powerful beam passing through the stone of the bars as if they were air.

She shielded her face with her arms, feeling the impact of the magic in her entire body. She gasped in pain as the magic permeated her entire being. Then after several agonizing minutes the pain receded and Niobe fell to her knees.

"As I expected." Tritannus mused, relaxing his aim,

"What?" She looked up with one arm holding her stomach which felt as if someone had driven a burning sword in it while the other supported her shuddering frame.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He said. "Behave yourself, auntie. I'd hate to have to hurt you more." He turned, diving underwater again. She could see him leave the cave, disappearing from view.

The hand resting on the slime floor clawed at what little algae there were, the Queen of the Surface-world of Andros gritting her teeth in helpless anger.

She knew what he had tried to do: change her form and possibly control her mind while he was at it. Just because Aisha had become the Guardian-fairy of Andros did not mean that she had lost her powers. Though it had been ages since she last used her full magic-potential – since shortly after Aisha's birth, in fact – did not mean that she was incapable. In fact, she was quite powerful, but an incident kept her from using her final transformation Sirenix: it had been just a month or so after the fall of Domino that somehow Daphne had appeared in her dreams and told her that a curse had been cast on Sirenix itself leaving all fairies possessing this transformation at risk. Since then the Queen had used no more magic than she was able to without transforming since once a transformation was gained, one could not go back to earlier ones, leaving her with only Sirenix to access.

She struggled back to her feet, groaning as pain shot through her midsection at the move. One hand still hugging the area, her other closed around one of the bars, steadying her as she peered into the water. There was nothing visible save sand, but she knew that even if she got out of here, she wouldn't get far. Tritannus no doubt would have left some form of security behind. If not to keep her in, then definitely to keep possible saviors out.

She carefully felt her midsection over, concluding that not only would she have a terrible bruise to show for this, her corset was also bent in a way that could not be good for her.

"Let's see if I still recall how to do this…" She muttered, raising her hands above her. It took her a while, but she managed to replace her normal dress for a far simpler set of pants and shirt. Wearing a dress in this environment would just result in her having to replace it every day and she really did not want that to be necessary. Her hair tumbled down around her face, no longer being held up by her headdress. She conjured up a piece of ribbon, binding the long locks back. She chuckled when she realized she had to look a lot like Aisha now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only a few episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 4**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The mood at Alfea was depressed: there had still been no word on Aisha's mother and the Fairy of Waves was consumed with worry. More than once the Winx faced Tritannus and the Trix, but none of them even made a mention of the Queen of the surface-world of Andros.

It was only after weeks that a message from her father came. Tritannus had contacted Neptune and made his demands for the safe return of Niobe: the powers of all the Gatekeepers. Neptune refused.

While understandable, Teredor was not amused with this decision considering it was his wife that was the bargaining-chip here.

In the aftermath of this message Aisha became more determined to defeat Tritannus, being the foremost of the Winx to search for Sirenix.

It became so bad that the others insisted they take a short break, nearly dragging the brown-skinned fairy away from her search. They'd whisper that she did not want to lose someone else she held dear. The loss of Nabu was still fresh on her mind and the thought that she could lose her mother too terrified the fairy of Andros.

They took her to Tides, the only planet Aisha was willing to visit if not searching for Sirenix.

It was when she was going through boxes with memoirs of her childhood she stumbled across a small book hidden deep in a solid wooden trunk in the far corner of the storage-room.

Curiosity compelled her to open the leather-bound booklet, the old pages crackling as she carefully turned them.

Neat script covered the yellowed paper, the black ink not yet starting to fade with age. With a shock she recognized her mother's gentle hand.

She blinked a few times and turned back to the first page. She read it slowly, the tip of her finger following the script.

"Girls…" She looked up at the five others. "Look what I found."

"What?" They joined her, looking over her shoulder at the book.

"It's the account of someone else earning their Sirenix, written by my mother." Aisha looked back down at the pages.

"You think that will help?" Stella was skeptical. "It looks like it was long ago, not to mention that every earning is unique."

"But it will give us some hints." Bloom agreed with Aisha. "Does she mention who it was?"

"A Fairy of the Sea." Aisha said after a short read. "So I guess that means this was not your sister, but someone who gained it before her."

"Gained what before whom?" A new voice asked. Teredor had come looking for his daughter, surprised to find her in the storage-rooms of their palace.

"Sirenix before Bloom's sister." Aisha answered him, watching as he made his way through the boxes.

"Well, that does not narrow it down that much." He dryly told her. "Sirenix had been an Andros-only transformation for centuries before Daphne begged us to allow her to gain it too."

"It was?" Musa asked, surprised.

"It sure was." Teredor stated. "Every Queen of Andros, as well as most princesses, gained it after gaining their Enchantix. I believe there is a book with images of all of them in the Royal Library."

"Why did you never tell me that?" Aisha rose from the floor, book still in her hands.

"Daphne warned us it was no longer a safe transformation." Teredor answered her. "Both your mother and I thought it better not to mention it to you then."

"Sir?" Tecna asked. "Could we see that book?"

"If you can find it, certainly." He told her. "It is in the closed-off-royal section."

"Thanks, dad." Aisha kissed his cheek briefly, before all six shot off to the library of Andros' Royal Palace. It was nothing in comparison to the secret archive of Alfea, but still quite big.

There was a door leading into nothingness among the bookshelves.

"What the use of this?" Flora opened it, looking at the frame standing without a wall.

"That's the closed-off-royal section." Aisha closed it, before opening it herself. Suddenly it led to a different room. "Only those with the blood of the line on the throne can open this door and pass through. All of you have to go first, because otherwise I'll leave people here."

"Handy." Stella remarked, stepping through the door. Her heels, clacking on the marble of the library, grew silent as they stepped on the rich carpet of the closed-off-section.


	5. Chapter 5

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only a few episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 5**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The books in that section were all old. Each had a thick leather-cover with inlaid gold patterns down the spine.

"Sweet library." Stella commented, reading some of the titles.

"I had to read quite some of these when I was younger." Aisha said. "The picture-books are over here, I believe." She led them deeper into the maze of shelves. "Here they are." She looked over the spines. The other Winx helped her look.

"'Sirenix, Royal Transformation of Andros'." Flora read and pulled it from the shelf carefully. "I think it's this one."

"Most likely." They carried it to one of the few tables. It was a big book, and thick besides.

"You know, considering the amount of fairies who had to have gained Sirenix according to this, I am surprised no mention of it got out." Tecna looked at the cover, which was quite simple in comparison to the other books in the room.

"That's something we can figure out later." Bloom said.

Aisha nodded, opening the book.

"Woah…" She carefully touched the picture. "Sirenix is beautiful." The others could only agree.

"See who the last one is." Musa suggested. "Perhaps she is still alive."

Aisha nodded, opening the book at the last page. Her eyes widened. "Oh my…"

"Isn't that your mother?" Flora breathed, looking at the fairy pictured. Under the picture was the comfirmation: 'Niobe, Queen of Andros, non-royal-line, Fairy of Oceans, 17 days'

"I never even knew she was a fairy." Aisha breathed, gently touching the picture of her mother. "Why did she never tell me that?"

"She was unable to transform. She feared you'd ask her why." Teredor had joined them, looking at the picture. "After Daphne informed us that Sirenix was too dangerous to use, your mother could no longer use her full potential, essentially being crippled."

"Was she strong?" Aisha asked.

"When on Andros, yes." Her father answered. "Everywhere else she was moderate. That is why our parents arranged our marriage together. They thought her powers were perfect for a queen of Andros."

"Does Uncle Neptune know?" Aisha asked. If her uncle knew, chances were her traitorous cousin Tritannus also knew.

"As far as I know, he doesn't." Teredor said. "Perhaps your Aunt Ligea does."

"You think she told Tritannus?" Bloom wondered.

"I sincerely hope not." Teredor frowned. "The connection between the palaces is no longer safe, so I cannot ask her."

"We could." Musa said. "Now that we have Harmonix, we should be able to get there, right?" She looked to Aisha for confirmation.

"Sure." She nodded. "Let's go."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You are a Sirenix-fairy?" Tritannus all but shot out of the water in anger when he visited his aunt again.

Niobe backed away, eyes wide in fear. "How did you…?"

"You really think I have no _spies_?" He snarled, raising the trident. "Tell me everything about it."

"I won't even think about it." She barely managed to dodge when he tried to blast her.

"Oh, you will." He rose completely from the water, making the stone-bars sink into the walls of the cave again. "You will tell me every single detail about it."

"Go to Omega, Tritannus. I heard that is quite the place for you." She countered, glaring at him just as much as he glared at her.

The trident appeared under her chin, pushing into her flesh. "Talk." He ordered, his monstrous bulk pushing her against the wall of the cave.

"Go. To. Omega." She repeated. "And lay off the pollution while you're at it."

He smashed his fist in the wall beside her head, the enhanced muscle driving the limb deep into the solid stone. She did not flinch.

"Either you talk, or you'll regret it." He threatened again, his fist now closing around her neck.

She still did not say a word.


	6. Chapter 6

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only a few episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 6**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

'Lay off the pollution'…

Those had been her words. Her last ones…

Niobe was lying on the ground in her cell, not moving. Her nephew, Tritannus, had left by now, venting his remaining rage on the few sea-creatures foolish enough to come near the cave.

Strands of her brown hair floated in the water, dancing in the small movements reaching inside from the great ocean outside. Around her neck were the marks of his fingers, visible even with her dark skin.

Magic is a fickle mistress, it will desert us when we need it most or return just as we gave up all hope. Though she had not transformed in nearly two decades, Niobe was still a fairy. And fairies, unlike witches, might find that their magic acts of its' own accord to protect them.

Blue sparks formed on her long tresses, reaching into the cool water. As Stella got revitalized in the warmth of the Sun, so too did Aisha's mother in the cool of the ocean-water. It was something her magic remembered, and now sought to replicate.

It would have been better had she been able to dive into the water, a thing those bars prevented, and so the sea had to come to her.

Bit by bit the cool liquid traveled up her body, covering her in a thin sheen from head to toe. It grew as more water answered to the call of her magic, woken from its' dormant state by her subconscious.

Soft patterns of energy flowed through the salty fluid, congregating around her neck and one of her arms.

She groaned softly, her magic receding, drenching her in the water. She blinked a few times.

"Wonderful." She muttered, raising her hand to remove the water. "Well, at least my neck no longer hurts." She rubbed it. "Damn, Tritannus, that pollution is slowly destroying you. Why don't you see that?" She hoisted herself up, moving to a ledge nearby.

She coughed, pain lacing through her body.

In answer she merely sighed in defeat.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The Winx spend the rest of the day reading the account of Aisha's mother gaining her Sirenix. Surprisingly, what they had gone through was pretty much what she had gone through, save some details here and there.

"I do hope she'll forgive us for reading her dairy." Musa at one point said, lying on her bed listening to Aisha read. She was hugging a pillow to her chest, looking at the fairy of Andros.

"I'm sure she will understand." Aisha closed it, gently following the design on it with her finger.

"Don't get depressed on us, girl." Stella warned. "If we want to get this done, we need to work together. We only have a week before our time runs out, as it were."

"Yes." Aisha nodded, putting the book on the bed again. "But we only need one more thing, right?"

"But I think that'll be the hardest." Bloom pointed out. "We'll see what your mom went through tomorrow and then it's back to business, girls."

All agreed with her.

Aisha left the rooms assigned to her friend, returning to her own royal suite. The others quickly prepared for bed.

But the Princess of Andros did not. Instead she went to the rooms of her parents, though currently only her father was using them.

"Can I talk to you, dad?" She asked.


	7. Chapter 7

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only a few episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 6**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

There was only rage, Aisha realized, only rage in the eyes of her once-cousin. They had had a mere day to spare, but she and her friends had gained their Sirenix.

Almost as if in answer, Tritannus went mad, taking the powers of the Selkies at an almost absurd rate as if he had forgotten the demands he had made not a week earlier.

In answer to that the hunt was opened in earnest. Knowing that any mer-people send after him would just be turned into his monsters, it were the humans who were in the frontlines.

It was the first time Aisha saw her uncle and aunt outside of the sea. Both arrived with Tressa and Nereus at the royal palace of the Overworld of Andros. A simple spell by Teredor's magicians allowed the four to safely stay outside of the water for a long time.

Nereus was unable to look Aisha in the eyes, evading her as much as was possible with both of them being their father's heirs.

"Nereus!" She called, watching him sit on one of the balconies overlooking the ocean of Andros, spreading from horizon to horizon, broken only by sporadic islands. Waves lap at the cliff-side below the palace, breaking against the few rocks jutting from the water. "We need to talk."

"What about?" He looked as if he was ready to bolt, looking at a point on the ground beside her rather than her face.

"You are not to blame for what he did, Nereus." Aisha said, leaning on the balustrade beside him. "Your brother alone is responsible for this."

"And it started because he was jealous of me." Nereus answered, hiding behind his pale-purple hair. "All this started because he thinks I am our parents' favorite."

"Perhaps you are." Aisha shrugged. "But he is the one who reacted like this, who made the decision to take my mother and do all this. Not you."

"I tried to be nice to him, to somehow alleviate the rejection he felt." Nereus whispered.

"And HE is the one who ignored all that." She sharply said. "I know you, Nereus, you are a sweety unlike many others. It. Is. Not. Your. Fault."

"Apparently not enough." He stood up from the balustrade, floating just a bit over the stone floor. His shark-like tail flicked from side to side, the small scales glistening in the light of the setting sun.

"If you got any more sweet you might as well become a piece of candy." Aisha argued. "Do you remember that day when we were ten? That day at the beach?"

"I do…" He sighed. "You nearly died there."

"All because I wanted a piece of candy after Tritannus had gotten one too." She stated. "I didn't want his, I didn't try to take his, all I asked for was one too. Even with all the proper etiquette required of a princess."

"And he almost drowned you 'accidently'." Nereus sighed in defeat. "Yes, I remember it exactly."

"If you were to blame for this, I might as well blame you for what happened all those years ago." Aisha stated, poking his chest. "But you don't see me doing that, do you?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Category: Winx Club**

**Rating: M**

**Couples: none**

**Warnings: AU (As much as it can be with only a few episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter: 8**

**Copyright: © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tritannus had either gone mad with the pollution warping his body, or he simply did not care anymore, no one was entirely sure what had happened to him. But none of his family doubted that he was well underway to destroy himself.

He needed more of the sickening pollution every time to achieve the same effect, it had become an addiction. Whenever the Winx saw him drained, he looked worse than the time before. His luscious purple hair was thinning rapidly as was his entire body, in fact. He was no longer the mirror-image of his brother Nereus, he was a sickly mockery.

To some extend he had to see that too, because he grew more raging as time passed by. It soon reached levels that made his family fear for his aunt, who was still his prisoner.

It was around this time he went too far by a wide margin, even wider than kidnapping his own aunt: he attacked his sister. It was sheer luck that she managed to reach safety on time: he would have turned her into one of his monsters had she not been so quick.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back, as people from outside Andros are won't to say. But having never had camels, the people of Andros – Merfolk and humans alike – have a different expression: the wave that destroyed the island. Only instead of a wave, Tritannus had unleashed a tsunami and it was on a collision-course… with him.

On top of the loss of her mother and the still ever present threat to said mother's life, Aisha was determined to hunt him down after he dared threaten her cousin, his own sister. The other Winx were right behind her. Family or not, he was going down.

Their own families were less thrilled however, despite knowing the tight friendship their daughters had. Sky could not come, him being King meaning that there would be a political nightmare waiting for him if he came home after going with the Winx.

There was one king however who would not stay home during this. Teredor was hell-bend on joining his daughter and her friends.

"You do realize you have no way of stopping me?" He demanded. "Your mother is still with Tritannus and I have no intention of leaving her with him any longer than strictly necessary."

"And what if something happens to you?" Aisha countered. "There is a reason Sky has to stay on Eraklion during this."

"Sky has no heirs. I have." Her father stated. "Besides, I have faith in you. You have yet to disappoint me or fail in the protection of Andros. I doubt you'll start either any time soon. I am coming with you and that is my final word."

"Your daughter does have a point." Neptune pointed out, floating next to the rest of his family.

"As does he." Ligea said. "I for one admire his patience. I believe had it been ME taken, you would have wrecked the oceans already in your search for me."


	9. Chapter 9

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only a few episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 9**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The experience of being in the Infinite Ocean was certainly one worth repeating. Only not with the whole thing of having to hunt down her rogue-cousin who was here somewhere too…

Aisha was quite surprised how agile her father was in the water. Perhaps she shouldn't have been that surprised since he _was _the King of Andros, a water-planet if you'll ever find one… Though the spells his magicians cast on him certainly didn't hurt either.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked him softly, one eye on their surroundings in case Tritannus had told his monsters to swarm out.

"Yes." He nodded, his long hair bound back in one thick braid. "There's only so much I want to stay out of."

She nodded, falling silent.

"I can pick up Tritannus straight ahead." Tecna stated. "As well as a good dozen of his monsters and the Trix."

"Let's end this." Bloom stated.

"I really don't want to know in what state mom is in." Aisha muttered, silently swearing that if even a single hair was out of place she'd blast them all into Omega with an express-ticket.

The monsters attacked shortly there-after, appearing from behind pillars of solid stone and colorful coral-reefs.

Teredor pulled his sword and while he missed the agility and speed a tail might have given him, he attacked nonetheless. Living with Neptune as his colleague-ruler on Andros had made him quite skilled with dealing with the fast and more agile mer-people as sparring-opponents.

"They lose quite some skill when he turns them." He mused as he rejoined his daughter and her friends. "They are hardly at the level they were as un-turned mer-people."

"They still slow us down." The Winx frowned as Aisha stated this fact. "Tritannus will have used this distraction to get away from us."

"Then we better go catch up again." Her father stated. "The more we talk here, the further he will have come."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

She had half a mind to use Sirenix despite the dangers involved, but thought better of it. Her daughter was on her way – finally – and risking her life now would be a foolish and useless move.

That Tritannus had already covered, dragging her along in ways any other human would have paid for with their lives.

She was starting to root for a body-failure because of too much pollution. She'd ask Ligea for forgiveness later on, but right now she really, really wanted the pollution to overload Tritannus' body.

As it was, Tritannus had had a 'fresh batch' just before coming here and it was quite doubtful he'd run out any time soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Category:**** Winx Club**

**Rating:**** M**

**Couples:**** none**

**Warnings:**** AU (As much as it can be with only a few episodes into the season xD)**

**Chapter:**** 10**

**Copyright:**** © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

What followed would go into the annals of both kingdoms on Andros as a tragedy, caused by the power-hunger of the son of Neptune and Ligea, who was brother to Nereus and Tressa, cousin to Aisha and nephew to Teredor and Niobe.

Those who had been there would not tell what had transpired between them and Tritannus, but Ligea had her own thoughts about what had happened to her renegade-child. The fact that seven Sirenix-fairies returned instead of six was a very big pointer. Flying beside her daughter was Niobe, at full strength and transformed. The faint glow of used power surrounded her, manifesting itself in the intensified scent of the sea.

Tritannus, her dear and misguided son, had remained in the Infinite Ocean. He could not be saved from his own madness and the poison of the pollution he had come to covet so much. The Trix had disappeared, abandoning the prince of the sea to whatever fate he would face when his body broke under the strain during the long and hard battle.

He had fled from his family as far as his body was able to move him. It had not been far.

"What happened?" She demanded that evening from her friend, appearing in front of Andros' human-queen as she stood on the great balcony.

"Do you want the sugar-coated version, or the truth?" Niobe asked instead, all traces of her imprisonment long wiped away.

"You fought him, didn't you?" Ligea realized. "You, the Fairy of the Ocean, fought him in the Infinite Ocean."

"Yes." No point in hiding it. "Forgive me."

There was silence between the two Queens, both lost in their own thoughts.

"He had it coming." The mermaid stated softly. She sighed. "It happened as it had to happen."

"Yes." The human agreed.

Neither moved as the last rays of the Sun faded and the Moon rose to take its' place.


End file.
